Stories by WTTW News

President Obama announces the beginning of troop withdrawal in Afghanistan, amid bipartisan calls to end the conflict entirely. We carry his speech live, and then Carol Marin and her panel debate the repercussions of the president's decision at home and abroad. Did President Obama make the right move regarding troops in Afghanistan?

Hundreds of teachers and union members took to the streets this morning to protest the Chicago Board of Education's decision to rescind a contractual pay raise for teachers. Ash-har Quraishi tells us what happened inside the school board meeting that followed. Collective bargaining agreement: See pg 117, item 47-2.2 for pay raise clause

Finance Committee chairman Alderman Ed Burke has a security detail of multiple bodyguards and one Chicago police car; a measure Rahm Emanuel spoke up against during his campaign. Burke has the backing of a judge when the detail was contested in 1986. Elizabeth Brackett has the story.

We tour the Poetry Foundation's bold new downtown building. Eddie Arruza has the story.

JoAnn Chiakulas, the lone holdout juror from Rod Blagojevich's first trial, tells us why she voted not guilty and the pressure she felt to change that vote. Elizabeth Brackett has the story. Blagojevich Retrial page "Breakdown of the Alleged Shakedowns"

Cook County Treasurer Maria Pappas says the average Chicago household now owes a whopping $63,525 to cover local government debt. Phil Ponce sits down with her to ask how she came up with the staggering $108 billion total amount.

A new form of DNA may help treat cancer, new understandings about ancient civilizations, and the important role of happiness in health. Chicago Tonight's science guy Neil Shubin talks about those stories, and his own upcoming research in the Arctic.

An artist who thinks "inside the box." Chicago Tonight sheds light on the shadow boxes created by Joseph Cornell on today's Artbeat. More on the Story: Photo Gallery MCA Chicago: Cornell exhibit

Jeffrey Lyons is best known as a movie reviewer and long-time host of Sneak Previews. He also had one of the most extraordinary childhoods imaginable, and was surrounded by celebrities from an early age. His father, Leonard Lyons, was the celebrity columnist for the New York Post. Jeffrey Lyons talks about his new book, Stories My Father Told Me: Notes From "The Lyons Den".

If you think your child doesn't have a food allergy, you might want to think again. A new study reveals that food allergies are on the rise nationwide. Dr. Ruchi Gupta sits down with us to discuss the study.

It's a struggle many Americans will soon face -- caring for their aging parents. Jane Gross joins us to discuss her new book on caregiving.

Geoffrey Baer takes you on a ride aboard Chicago's last surviving private commuter rail car. Chicago Tribune article

We hear what you had to say about recent stories when we read some of our viewer mail. Send Chicago Tonight your comments

A unanimous appeals court decision upholds that Patrick Fitzgerald's office knew that a key witness in a Gangster Disciples drug ring case lied on the stand. Carol Marin and her panel looks at prosecutorial misconduct. Chicago Tribune article U.S. Court of Appeals: Freeman opinion

With unemployment rising and major companies threatening to leave the state because of high taxes, WBBM Newsradio 780's Kris Kridel joins us to survey the business landscape.

It took 90 years and 88 scholars at the University of Chicago to complete work on what is known as the Assyrian Dictionary. Ash-har Quraishi takes a look at the project and its historical significance. More on the Story: Web article & photo gallery The Oriental Institute: Assyrian Dictionary project

This week on Chicago Tonight: The Week in Review, Rahm Emanuel grades his first 30 days as mayor of Chicago. Summer construction crews will continue working now that Senate President John Cullerton agrees to drop social programs from the capital expenditure bill. Chicago teachers vow to re-open contract negotiations after the Chicago Public Schools board unanimously rejects a 4 percent teacher raise. The Blagojevich jury continues to deliberate. A perfect storm hits Metra staff during rush hour forcing multiple train cancellations.

He used to manage the roadways of our nation's capital. Now he's followed Mayor Emanuel back to Chicago to direct transportation operations here. Chicago's new Transportation Commissioner Gabe Klein walks us through some of his ideas for improving how we maneuver in Chicago.

Mayor Rahm Emanuel delivers his own report card on his first 30 days in office. Eddie Arruza and our panel weigh in on the mayor's performance. Breakdown of Emanuel's accomplishments Chicago Tonight's Mayor Rahm Emanuel page

In the 90s, "All Jokes Aside" served as a launching pad for many of today's top African-American comedians. A new film takes a look at the rise and fall of one of Chicago's once-premier comedy clubs. More on the movie Siskel Film Center

He's a Chicago legend and one of the forefathers of the blues. So why has his name been almost forgotten in modern culture? We talk to the author of I Feel So Good: The Life and Times of Big Bill Broonzy.

You can still enjoy the 31st Street beach, even though just south, some major construction is going on. Geoffrey Baer tells us what they're building in tonight's Ask Geoffrey.

We hear what you had to say about recent stories when we read some of our viewer mail. Send Chicago Tonight your comments

It was the first, and yet, monumental day for the new Chicago Public School Board. Facing a mounting deficit, the group voted to rescind a 4 percent raise for teacher salaries. School Board President David Vitale talks to Carol Marin about the decision.

The move to rescind teacher pay raises has garnered praise from Mayor Emanuel, while drawing the ire of the Chicago Teachers Union. CTU President Karen Lewis is here to give her perspective on the issue. Chicago Teachers Union website

A Chicago family leads their community to convert an illegal garbage dump into Eden Place: a three-acre nature center for their struggling South Side neighborhood. Jay Shefsky has the remarkable story. Eden Place Nature Center website Fuller Park Community Development website